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Sample Resume for MS in US Application

byadminonJuly 16, 2007

TIPS FOR RESUME

The purpose of a resume is to disclose your accomplishments and qualifications to the admissions committee. Think of your resume as a promotional brochure about you. You need to show the committee what you have accomplished and where your experience lies. Your strategy should be to emphasize the experience and skills that a particular school is looking for. Your resume is also an example of your communication and organizational skills.

Selecting the right format

There are several acceptable formats for a resume. Based on the amount of your work experience, you can use one of the following formats:

Chronological:

This is the most common resume style for people with significant work experience. In the Chronological format, the emphasis is placed on employment experience. The applicant’s job history is presented in reverse chronological order, with the most recent jobs placed at the top of the list.

Functional:

In this non-linear format, your skills and achievements are emphasized. Your employment history is summarized and linked to your skills and achievements. Your skills and previous relevant experience (including educational experience) are presented at the beginning of your resume. The Functional resume can be particularly effective if you’ve held a number of similar positions; it will allow you to highlight your skills rather than itemize what might be a redundant looking job history.

Combination:

The Combination resume is simply a Functional resume with a brief employment history added. Educational qualifications are listed first, skills and accomplishments are still listed next; the employment history follows. You need to reveal where you worked, when you worked, and what your job position was. Emphasize your talents and show how you used them at the job.

School Specific:

Some schools specify the format for the resume. In most cases, you will be asked to include all part-time and full time work experiences, research and project activities, extracurricular interests and community/civil activities.

Resume writing tips:

Keep it concise

Resumes should be one page, if possible, and two if absolutely necessary to describe relevant work experience.

Make your words count.

Your use of language is extremely important; you need to sell yourself to a committee quickly and efficiently.

Avoid large paragraphs (over six or seven lines).

Use action verbs such as “developed,” “managed,” and “designed” to emphasize your accomplishments.

Don’t use declarative sentences like “I developed the…” or “I assisted in…”; leave out the “I.”

Avoid passive constructions, such as “was responsible for managing.” It’s not only more efficient to say “Managed,” it’s stronger and more active.

Make the most of your experience

The admissions committee is looking for future business managers and leaders. They need to know what you have accomplished to have an idea of what you can add to the program.

Don’t be vague. Describe things that can be measured objectively. Telling someone that you “improved warehouse efficiency” doesn’t say much. Telling them that you “cut requisition costs by 20%, saving the company $3800 for the fiscal year” does. Employers will feel more comfortable hiring you if they can verify your accomplishments.

Be honest. There is a difference between making the most of your experience and exaggerating or falsifying it.

Don’t neglect appearance

Your resume is the first impression you’ll make on the committee, and a successful resume depends on more than what you say; how you say it counts as well.

Check your resume for proper grammar and correct spelling – evidence of good communication skills and attention to detail. Nothing can ruin your chances of getting an admission more than submitting a resume filled with (easily preventable) mistakes.

Make your resume easy on the eyes. Use normal margins (1″ on the top and bottom, 1.25″ on the sides) and don’t cram your text onto the page. Allow for some breathing room between the different sections. Avoid unusual or exotic font styles; use simple fonts with a professional look.

Eliminate superfluous details

Unnecessary details can take up a lot of valuable space on your resume.

Don’t mention personal characteristics such as age, height, and marital status on your resume. This information is either irrelevant or is taken care of in other parts of the application. List your hobbies and interests and extracurricular activities if these are not covered elsewhere.